Studebaker President
The Studebaker President was the most luxurious automobile made by the Studebaker Corporation in South Bend, Indiana from 1927 to 1942. After the Second World War , the name was used again for a model series that was manufactured from 1955 to 1958.
Series
1927-1933
Before 1927, the Studebaker Big Six was the company's largest model. The first Studebaker, named President, was introduced on July 23, 1926 and is known internally as the Model ES . Albert R. Erskine , President of Studebaker, did his best to support the development of this model; he wanted to make it the most luxurious car model on America's roads. President models from model years 1928 through 1933 set speed records, some of which lasted ten years or more. In 1932, Studebaker introduced the "ovaloid" headlights, which, with their oval shape, made it easy to identify the President and other Studebaker luxury automobiles. The Studebaker Presidents of that time were considered to be on par with the products of exclusive brands such as Cadillac , Packard and Chrysler Imperial . In 1933, Studebaker had to register a settlement, and so the era of the large, impressive President models quickly came to an end.
1934-1942
In 1934, Studebaker revised its model range and its individual models. The company brought out a new body, the Land Cruiser , which could be mounted on the chassis of the Dictator , Commander and President models . The Land Cruiser models can easily be recognized by their extremely streamlined shape, their unusual, four-part rear window and their trunk and fender panels that extend downwards. The new President models were smaller and less impressive than their predecessors, but they were still beautiful automobiles.
In 1935 Studebaker offered steel sunroofs as optional equipment for the President and Commander models , as they are still in use on today's vehicles. In 1936, all Studebakers had the "Planar" wheel suspension system and the "Startix" automatic starter as an option. Cars made after 1937 also show the influence of industrial designer Raymond Loewy , who worked as a styling consultant for Studebaker.
In 1937 the "Hill Holder", a system that prevented the vehicle from rolling back when starting up a hill, became the President's basic equipment; In 1938 the company even offered a "Miracle Shift" remote control gearbox with a control lever on the dashboard. The latter detail was no longer supplied from 1939 when the gear lever moved to the steering column.
In 1941 the President got a different structure, a four-door sedan with doors hinged at the front, in contrast to the " suicide doors " that had hitherto been hinged at the back . All President vehicles with this body were named Skyway President . They are easiest to recognize by their covered running boards and the missing triangular windows at the back. This type of body was also delivered in the 1942 model year (shortened due to the war). After that the production of the President was stopped. The name Skyway was later used again for the shortened Studebaker Champion of the 1946 model year.
1955-1958
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Studebaker reintroduced the name President in 1955 for all luxury models. The Studebaker Speedster was only manufactured in 1955.
The Speedster, a model of the new President series, was based on the President Hardtop Coupé. In 1955, the company completely redesigned its models, adding a larger front bumper and distinctive grille to keep up with cars from other American brands of the time. The Speedster was also given a two- or three-color paint job, special leather upholstery, hubcaps in a spoke wheel design and a modified dashboard with a speedometer and complete instrumentation. Studebaker manufactured 2215 Speedster models in the 1955 model year.
The Packard model Clipper , built in 1957, and its successor from 1958, which were nicknamed " Packardbaker " due to their similarity to the Studebaker, were derived from this Studebaker President .
In 1958, when Studebaker focused on the compact Lark model , the President name disappeared for good.
Classic status
The Classic Car Club of America grants the 38,403 Studebaker President, who were manufactured in 1928 (only eight-cylinder FA and FB models) and from 1929 to 1933, the full classic status ("Full Classic").
literature
- James H. Maloney: Studebaker Cars , Crestline Books (1994), ISBN 0-87938-884-6
